Renewed questions about internships - Job Market

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2003

With the allegation in a recently published book that Pres. John F. Kennedy retained a college student intern as a traveling companion, once again the focus is on the issue of internships. "It is likely that with all the publicity, parents will be asking a lot of questions about the nature of the work, conditions, hours, and supervision. References will be important--employer references--before parents give their blessing to an internship," indicates John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., an international outplacement firm.

"Many internships are offered in professional firms that may top the list for the most on-the-job potential danger: late night, weekend hours; fewer people in,the office after hours; highly competitive atmosphere, particularly for young people pushing to move up, creating tensions ripe for emotional release. As the demand for interns increases, employers will make better offers, putting more responsibility on the intern, and the parents, to ask probing questions."

Moreover, using the Internet will only complicate matters. "Students should exercise caution when accepting a position from an Internet posting," Challenger stresses. "It is not that these companies are bad, it is just that the Internet offers no prescreening of employers and their policies."

Challenger also advises, "Do not accept an internship if it is not the kind of work, company, or boss that you would like to work for full time. Internships are often extended interviews that result in full-time offers."

A strong workplace policy is one criterion a parent and intern should seek when evaluating a job offer. Another is actual pay. "Be wary of unpaid internships. You will be accorded more respect if you are on the payroll and it is less likely that you will be taken advantage of in terms of long hours and unusual job requests."

Internships offer both students and employers benefits. The student gets real-life work experience, some extra money, and often college credit. The employer gets to test a potential job candidate. If all works out well, the employer may hire the intern full time. To learn as much as possible, however, an intern will have to take the internship seriously. "Consider the employer as a potential full-time employer. If an intern does an outstanding job, the internship employer could be an important reference for future jobs."

One way to make the most of an internship is to sit in on meetings. "Interns can learn a lot by observing how people handle themselves in certain settings," Challenger notes. "They can tell their supervisor that they would not contribute to the meeting but would like very much to see and hear what is being discussed and how the meeting is conducted."

It also is a good idea to ask for a performance appraisal before leaving the job. "It is helpful for interns to learn what other people think of their work and what areas they can" get better at, concludes Challenger. "They will leave a good impression on the employer showing that they care enough to ask how they did and what they can do to improve."